In an event, the National Rally has taken a strong lead in the first round of France’s legislative elections, according to polling agencies. This development brings the party closer to forming a government in the second round and is a significant blow to President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron had dissolved the National Assembly on June 9, hoping that the National Rally wouldn’t be able to replicate its success from the European Parliament elections. However, the National Rally and its allies secured about one-third of the national vote on Sunday.
This prompted Macron’s prime minister, Gabriel Attal, to warn that France could face its first government led by this party since World War II if voters do not unite against it in the upcoming round two. 2
“The extreme right is at the doors of power,” Prime Minister Attal said. He described the National Rally’s policies as “disastrous” and urged voters not to support them in the second round.
Polling agencies have placed Macron’s centrist parties in a distant third place, behind both the National Rally and a new left-wing coalition formed to prevent the National Rally from gaining power. If the National Rally wins a parliamentary majority, Marine Le Pen could install her 28-year-old protégé, Jordan Bardella, as prime minister.
This would be a significant victory for Le Pen, who has been working to rebrand the party and make it more appealing to mainstream voters.
Despite their current lead, the National Rally has not secured victory yet. With another week of campaigning before the decisive final voting next Sunday, the election’s outcome remains uncertain. Le Pen has called on her supporters and those who didn’t back her party in the first round to help achieve a legislative majority.
If successful, Bardella and Macron would have to navigate an awkward power-sharing arrangement. Macron has stated he will not step down before his term ends in 2027.
The second round will determine if the National Rally and its allies can achieve the absolute majority needed to comfortably form a government and begin implementing their policies, which include halting French deliveries of long-range missiles to Ukraine and potentially straining relations with the European Union.
Some projections indicate that the National Rally and its allies could secure the 289 seats needed for a majority in the 577-seat National Assembly. However, the two-round voting system makes predictions challenging. Depending on the second round results, no single bloc may achieve a clear majority.
On Sunday night, opponents of the National Rally began working to withdraw some candidates from the race in the second round to consolidate votes against the party. Voter turnout was estimated at 66%, the highest for a first-round legislative election in 27 years.
Many French voters are frustrated with economic issues like inflation and feel that Macron’s leadership is disconnected from their lives. The National Rally has capitalized on this discontent, particularly through online platforms like TikTok. Their campaign focused heavily on the rising cost of living and immigration, but it was also marred by increasing hate speech.
“People don’t like what has been happening,” said Cynthia Justine, 44. “People feel they’ve lost a lot in recent years. People are angry. I am angry.” Justine emphasized the importance of voting, particularly as a Black woman, due to the stakes involved.
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The National Rally has questioned citizenship rights for people born in France and wants to limit the rights of dual nationality citizens. Critics argue this undermines human rights and threatens France’s democratic principles.
Philippe Lempereur, 64, expressed frustration with politicians’ inability to collaborate on essential issues like housing and food security. “We vote by default, for the least worse option,” he said. “I prefer to vote than do nothing.”
In New Caledonia, a French Pacific territory, polls closed earlier due to a curfew following recent violence. Voters in other French overseas territories and those voting abroad also cast their ballots on Saturday.
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